The Pan-American Team Handball Federation (PATHF) has been the continental governing body for handball, beach handball, wheelchair handball and snow handball in Americas since 23 May 1977. PATHF includes North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. PATHF's primary functions is to organize competitions for national teams and clubs, and to conduct Men's World Handball Championship and Women's World Handball Championship qualifying tournaments.

On 14 January 2018, during the IHF Council meeting, PATHF was suspended by International Handball Federation and was divided into two continental confederations namely the North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation and the South and Central America Handball Confederation. The IHF Council decision was taken on the facts that there are no signs of development in the level of handball and beach handball in the North American, Central American and the Caribbean countries. There was some development in South American level but that was also not comparable to the other continents like Europe, Asia and Africa. No team from Americas had ever reached to the semifinal stage of the IHF World Men's Handball Championship and the IHF Men's Junior World Championship till date. The PATHF appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and it annulled IHF's decision.IHF refuse to stop plan to split Pan American body in two despite losing CAS case - Michael Pavitt, Inside the Games, 25 September 2018 At the Extraordinary IHF Congress 2019 the IHF statues were revised to add the new federations.

History PATHF was founded on 23 May 1977, which made it one of the five continental confederations affiliated with International Handball Federation. Argentina, Chile, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America were founding members. The first executive committee was composed of President Dr. Peter Buehning Sr. (USA), Vice-President Mr. Juan Mainzhausen (Argentina), Secretary General Mr. Walter Schwedhelm (Mexico), and Treasurer Mr. Francis Geulen (Canada). Current PATHF President is Mr. Mario Moccia from Argentina.

PATHF Presidents No. Name Country Tenure 1 Peter Buehning Sr. 1977–1980 2 Walter Schwedhelm 1980–1984 3 Andy Meszey 1984–1987 4 Peter Buehning Sr. 1987–1996 5 Rubén Gómez 1996 (interim) 6 Manoel Luiz Oliveira 1996–2012 7 Mario Moccia 2012 – 11 June 2019 Júlio Noveri (Interim President) 11 June 2019 – 3 July 2019

Mario Moccia resigned on 11 June 2019, Júlio Noveri took over as Interim President. PATHF was succeeded by NACHC and SCAHC as per the decision of Extraordinary IHF Congress held at Gothenburg (Sweden) on 3 July 2019.

PATHF Council The PATHF Council was an institution of the Pan-American Team Handball Federation. It was the main decision-making body of the organization in the intervals of PATHF Congress. It also had a subsidiary i.e. PATHF Executive Committee, which takes decisions during the intervals of Council Meetings. PATHF Executive Committee was formed of the President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary General and Treasurer. Following was the last PATHF Council elected for the years 2016 – 2020 before PATHF's dissolution on 14 January 2018 by the International Handball Federation. Designation Name Country President Mario Moccia 1st Vice-President Júlio Noveri 2nd Vice-President Rafael Sepúlveda Montalvo Secretary General Héctor Fernández Bogdanic Treasurer Carlos Ferrea IHF Continental Representative Mario García de la Torre South America Vice-President Gerardo Paniagua Central America Vice-President Dr. Carlos Morales Sosa Caribbean Vice-President Néstor Milete Echevarría North America Vice-President Bryan Hayes Chairman of the Competition Commission Carlos González Aldea Chairman of the Referees Commission Sálvio Sedrez

PATHF Commissions Commission Chairman Country PATHF Commission of Organizing and Competitions Carlos González Aldea PATHF Playing Rules and Referee Commission Sálvio Sedrez PATHF Commission for Development Rafael Sepúlveda Montalvo PATHF Commission of Coaching and Methods Mike Cavanaugh PATHF Medical Commission Llew Harper PATHF Marketing Commission Gabriel Klein PATHF Discipline Tribunal Daniel Cánepa PATHF Appeals Tribunal Héctor Alvarado Véliz PATHF Juridical Commission Rafael Sepúlveda Montalvo PATHF Beach Handball Commission Luiz Filipe Galvão PATHF Wheelchair Handball Commission Germán Bonnemezón

Affiliated members North America and the Caribbean

Barbados Canada Cuba Dominican Republic Greenland Haiti Mexico Puerto Rico Trinidad and Tobago United States of America

Central America

Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama

South America

Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela

Non-Members Following is the list of national handball federations who are affiliated to the International Handball Federation but are not granted affiliation by the PATHF.

Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Dominica Grenada Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Belize Guyana

Regional Member

French Guiana (France) Guadeloupe (France) Martinique (France)

Tournaments

PATHF Pan American Men's Handball Championship Pan American Women's Handball Championship Pan American Men's Junior Handball Championship Pan American Women's Junior Handball Championship Pan American Men's Youth Handball Championship Pan American Women's Youth Handball Championship Pan American Men's Cadet Handball Championship Pan American Women's Cadet Handball Championship Pan American Games

Club Pan American Men's Club Handball Championship Pan American Women's Club Handball Championship South American Men's Club Handball Championship (defunct) South American Women's Club Handball Championship (defunct)

Beach Pan American Beach Handball Championship Pan American Youth Beach Handball Championship Bolivarian Beach Games South American Beach Games

South America South American Handball Championship South American Junior Handball Championship South American Youth Handball Championship South American Cadet Handball Championship South American U14 Handball Championship South American Games Bolivarian Games

Central America Central American Handball Championship Central American Games Central American and Caribbean Games

North America and Caribbean Caribbean Handball Championship Nor.Ca. Handball Championship

Current champions Men's Women's Senior Handball (2016) (3) (2017) (10*) Pan American Games (2015) (3) (2015) (5*) Junior Handball (2017) (6) (2016) (8*) Youth Handball (2017) (8*) (2016) (11*) IHF Trophy (Continental Phase) (2017) (2017) Beach Handball (2016) (1) (2016) (2) Youth Beach Handball (2017) (1*) (2017) (1*) Club Handball EC Pinheiros (2017) (2) EC Pinheiros (2017) (1) (Titles) (*) Record titles

References

External links PATHF official website